Age 28 (31.5.91) Position Lock
No lock in world rugby has Retallick’s
range of skills. Who else could sell an
audacious dummy from 40m out and
canter in as he did against the Wallabies
last August? It was voted Try of the Year.
A beast in contact and set-piece – look
how he destroyed England’s lineout last
autumn – his offloading and handling in
the wide channels sets him apart.Age 28 (9.4.91) Position Back three
The world’s best player in the view
of Giselle Mather, who cites his
try-saving tackle-jackal on Garry
Ringrose in the Heineken Cup final
as Exhibit A. “He’s a modern-day JPR
Williams, a cult hero,” Sam Warburton
says of the fearless, feisty full-back.
The Analyst: P9 0 -9 14 BRODIE RETALLICK
5 LIAM WILLIAMS
7556100
BEST PLAYERS
Age 33 (1.6.86) Position Back three
On the very rare occasions he makes
a mistake, you can feel the rugby
world gasp. He turns similes on their
head: fixed structures should be
described as being as steady as Smith.
A half-back for a chunk of his teens,
it wasn’t until Otago’s NPC coaches
put ‘Bender’ at 15 that things clicked.
With a whole field in front of him, his
computer-like brain started deciphering
things. It would still take a few years
before the whole country saw how
Smith’s ball-gathering, line-picking,field-covering work was perfect for
the All Blacks. But he got there.
He is not the biggest, the brashest or
the most physical of characters – The
Alternative Commentary Collective
affectionately named him ‘Ben from
accounts’. But it is for his resilience
and his brilliantly efficient play that he
is described as one of the great 15s.
He has been moved to the wing to
accommodate other talents, but his
maturity and intrinsic leadership skills
make him invaluable to the ABs. “He’s
a special person,” Steve Hansen says.7 BEN SMITH
766
OWEN
FARRELL
70
Age 27 (24 September 1991) Position Fly-halfT
HE SARACEN had a
brilliant beginning to the
Six Nations in a dominant
display against Ireland but
was strangely ragged against Wales
and particularly Scotland, where his
game disintegrated in front of our eyes
in a surreal second half. Typical of the
man, he bounced back and became a
European champion for the third time
when beating Leinster in Newcastle.
Farrell was controlled and tactically
supreme that day. His constant
involvement and moment of pure classin giving the scoring pass to Sean
Maitland for Sarries’ opening try was
utterly critical to the outcome.
“Owen makes decisions and
executes unbelievably well,” says
Danny Cipriani. “He’s a diligent athlete.
The way he looks at things – and the
way he drives things – is meticulous.”
As he leads England into the World
Cup, he must address his tendency to
go shoulder-first into tackles because
his country will not go far without him.
In an eventful year on the pitch, he
became a dad off it. If Tommy fancies a
career in rugby, he won’t be lacking in
advice from his father and grandfather!